


aftershocks

by teasockschocolate



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: (i love that that is a tag i only typed in grover and it came up), Angst, Grover (Percy Jackson) is a Good Friend, Sally-centric, post Mark of Athena, we stan the true goddess of the franchise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-23
Updated: 2019-02-23
Packaged: 2019-11-04 05:43:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17892599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teasockschocolate/pseuds/teasockschocolate
Summary: "Of all the people Sally would have expected to show up outside her door, Grover Underwood was not very high on the list."orsomeone had to tell sally about the fall





	aftershocks

Of all the people Sally would have expected to show up outside her door, Grover Underwood was not very high on the list. There’d been frequent times, many years ago, where Grover and Annabeth would show up, baby-faced and nervous, and Sally would usher them in with a hug and blue cookies. She’d roll her eyes with Annabeth at the boys and roll her eyes with Grover when Percy and Annabeth would bicker (though the eye rolling later turned into knowing smirks). But that hadn’t happened in at least two years, since Grover had become Lord of the Wild and set off to save the trees. 

“Hi Mrs. Jacks––, um, Blowfish, er Blofis. Sorry.” Grover shifted his weight from hoof to hoof. “Can I come in?”

Sally opened the door wider and he trotted in, anxiously fiddling with his hat between his hands.

“How have you been, Grover?”

“Oh, you know, busy. Really busy. How’s your book coming?”

Sally gave a small smile. “I haven’t been able to write much lately.”

Grover nodded empathetically.

“Would you like anything, Grover? Cookies? I haven’t made any since… in a while, but if you’d like––“

“No thanks, Mrs. Blofis. I’m here for a reason, actually.”

She expected that much. Sally sat down at the table, gesturing for Grover to sit as well. 

“How did the landing at Camp Jupiter go? Is Percy…”

“It went… as well as it could, from what I’ve heard. Not great but no one was hurt. Well, apparently Annabeth judo flipped Percy, but you know, that’s not unexpected.” Grover cracked a small smile at that. 

“His memories?”

“All back.”

“Thank the gods.”

“Yeah. But, well, something happened yesterday.”

Sally felt her heart stall. “What?”

“So a few weeks back, Athena appeared to Annabeth. She didn’t tell them exactly what she said, but basically Annabeth had to go on some epic solo quest in Rome to get the Athena Parthenos.” 

“Did she?”

“Yeah. No other child of Athena has ever survived the quest before. She had to defeat Arachnae.” Grover’s voice wobbled. “She’s so brave.”

“Grover,” Sally tried to keep her voice calm, keep the anxiety that was starting to snake tighter around her chest. “What happened to Annabeth?” Sally had always felt a bond with Annabeth that had strengthened when Percy was missing and the two leaned on each other. She couldn’t imagine anything happening to her. She thought of what that would do to Percy and her heart tore more.

“The statue made a crack in the ground that opened to Tartarus. They think Arachnae had wrapped a cobweb around Annabeth’s leg before Annabeth pushed her in. The others found Annabeth and they started securing the statue.” Grover was crying now. “Arachnae pulled her over. And so Percy… Percy…”

There wasn’t a doubt in Sally’s mind what he’d done. She knew her baby better than she knew herself. And she’d known since she’d picked up a fourteen-year-old Percy from the winter solstice and he had told her that he held up the sky that there wasn’t a sing thing in the world that Percy wouldn’t throw away for Annabeth Chase. 

“He jumped after her.” 

“Nico says he could’ve pulled himself up but he would’ve had to let go of her. So he let go of the cliff.” 

Of course. 

“What now?”

“Percy said to meet them at the other sides of the Doors of Death, so they’re heading there.”

Sally nodded, numb.

“They’ll be okay.” Grover was clearly trying to reassure himself as much as he was her. “They’re tough. And they’re unstoppable together. If anyone can do it…”

She wanted to agree with Grover, but all she could think of was holding newborn Percy in her arms and swearing to protect him. Naming him Perseus so that he could have a happy ending. Vowing to keep him as far away from the godly part of his life for as long as she possibly could. Maybe she shouldn’t have held on so tight. Maybe this all would be easier. 

“I’m sorry.” Grover whispered.

“What for?”

“I’m his protector.”

“Grover,” Sally shook her head. “It’s not your fault.”

“I’m her protector too.” Grover added, twisting his hands. “I’ve had to protect four half-bloods ever. One became a tree, one became Kronos, and now…”

“It’s the gods’ fault, Grover. Not yours. The gods are cruel and this is all their fault.” (No thunder rumbled overhead. Maybe, if they were listening, they knew she wasn’t wrong.)

“Thanks, Mrs. Blofis.”

“So,” Sally tried to recenter herself. There was nothing they could do. (That’s what hurt the most. What mother couldn’t protect her child? Percy wasn’t even seventeen.) “Now we wait.”

Grover looked up at her, likely trying to read her emotions. “Yeah.”

“Also,” Sally’s laugh was dry. “This is as good a time as any, I suppose, but I’m pregnant.”


End file.
